Eagle Rare is the whiskey that finally got me to see the whiskey light. I've bought this many times over the last half decade and I can say I appreciate it more now than I did before. EDIT: agree with Josh. This is maybe a good ambassador bourbon. According to my own spreadsheet, I agree that $60 is the limit but only on good days, or good bottles. Otherwise, it really shouldn't exceed $45.
Yeah, I don’t think it SHOULD be priced over $60. With that said, I’ve only seen it at one store in my area and they were asking $99.99. I almost paid it just to have it back in my collection lol
Absolutely love Eagle Rare...at retail or close to retail. We're lucky that we visit our son in CA and it's pretty easy to get in the $40ish range so we stock up with about 3 bottles each year.
First time I ever saw it in a liquor store. It was $180 a bottle or $120 a bottle if you buy 2. Small obscure store. They also had the 18 year old Elijah Craig for $250.
I can get it at a local grocery store for £32.50 with a loyalty card and it's on sale on Amazon for the same price. So easy to get in England. Due to the ease of purchase and the fact that we can normally get it for under £40, I wouldn't pay more than that for a bottle in England. I figure it's the one bottle we can get easily that is less easy to get in the US, so will bring a bottle with me when I visit my family.
I was surprised to see this in a hotel pub in Ireland this summer. Also found some in TX this weekend. Bought a bottle for my brother-in-law for his retirement.
I just purchased a bottle this past Saturday of ER. That makes 3 bottles of ER I now have. One is open the other 2 sealed. I purchased it for 39.99 at a local Pinkies. None are store picks etc. They are highly allocated in my area and I have seen them go for as much as 150-200. At 40 bucks, I will purchase it all day long. Most the stores that do get them will do raffles and you must have X amount of points. The Texas liquor stores have us at their realm, pretty much. I'm not standing in line etc to get a bottle. I also have a fresh Blantons I paid 78.00,(first EVER BOTTLE FOR ME, when I purchased the last ER) 2 EH Taylors, I paid under 50 each, 2 Buffalo Trace 750mg bottles, one is a store pick I paid 27 and 40. a large Weller I orginally paid about 30, now selling if you can find it for about 60-75. I'm a sucker for BT products, no apologies here.
I used to get this at Meijers for under 30 dollars a bottle, but then their employees started catching on to the whiskey craze and started hiding the bottles for their friends to purchase
I live a few minutes outside Atlanta, and Eagle Rare is always on the shelf at 34.99 and 59.99 for store picks. I always keep a couple of the store picks on my shelf. They are definitely better than regular bottles and definitely a bargain at 60.
Driving through KY today and saw BT had Eagle Rare. Stopped and picked one up for $40. Where I live in NW Florida it is nowhere to be found. Always good to have an extra, plus makes a great gift. Also picked up a Nashville Barrel Co. Single Barrel Rye Barrel Select from TW after hearing you talk about them so much.
Ambassador bourbon is a perfect description. Everyone I turn on to Eagle Rare likes it. For rye it is the Elijah Craig. They both hit middle palettes that most can enjoy. Your channel is doing a great job of sharing these brands. Plus, Erin is adorable.
Eagle Rare is a fabulous bottle. It is my favorite sub 100 proof bourbon. It has just the right balance between sweet and oak for my palate. We can usually get it for $45 in the Denver area and super happy when i find it at that price. I would probably pay up to $60 just because i enjoy it so much. Cheers!
I hold a special place for Eagle Rare as it is the bourbon that started me out exploring whiskey. That said, it hasn’t been worth the price in my area for many years. When I started buying it I paid $40 but if I can find it near me, it will be $110 or more. If by chance I find a bottle under 50 I will grab it.
ER used to be my favorite low proof sipper. Now it’s a little underwhelming but still a good whiskey. I will always have a bottle and a backup. Great for new whiskey drinkers and makes a great gift. As long as I can get it for under $45 bucks
If you're one of the lucky people to get one of the 6 bottles we get in PA a year, it's a killer for 30$. ER is what got me into bourbon in the late 2000s, at 25$ a bottle, we couldn't give it away, now, it's pretty much not available. However, I would gladly pay 60 a bottle due to its sentimental value.
Found it today at Costco I’m California for $28.99 but limited 1 per person 😢 and they only had 12 bottles… but I did grab one first time having it and it was goooooood..
I can’t find it in Alabama, but I can find it occasionally in Mississippi. Have a couple bottles in inventory, but don’t drink it much because it’s so hard to find. It’s around $90 when I can find it.
Solid notes (especially Erin’s cat’s claw spice maneuver). I hadn’t had a bottle in a solid two years since I got one on ER day at the distillery last month…then stumbled into an MSRP pick in OKC a couple of weeks later. It is thin for me.
ER and BT are both that i have to be in the mood for to buy. ER is solid but not a profile that i just fall in love with. It’s well worth a buy at retail. But for me i can pass on it and leave it for someone else most of the time. Weirdly i always enjoy it Blind more than knowing what i’m drinking. It’s solid but i’ll take the Turkey for my bird bottle
Living within reasonable distance to BT distillery, my wife and I go whenever our 90 day limit allows to buy Eagle Rare. MSRP has gone up to $45/bottle. I paid $59.99 for my first bottle and agree with your assessment that $60 is my limit. I will buy it at any price below that if I see on a store shelf.
Had a bottle gifted to me and loved it. Saw the MSRP was $38. Mark up is always $50-to $70. Now I saw that MSRP is $50 and haven't seen it since. Buffalo Trace is always on the shelfs by me so I always have a bottle of that at $29
I pick this up when I see it. The price in Ohio just went up to $43 a couple of months ago. I enjoy it more than Blanton's. It also makes a great gift since both new and experienced bourbon drinkers can appreciate it.
I love eagle rare, won't go crazy looking for it. But will buy it when it's available. Too much good bourbon out there to hold out for something hard to get.
My old boss in 2019 used to get Eagle Rare by the case and sold me a few bottles at 32$. Earlier this year I bought one for old time sake at 70 here in KY.
When I give a gift to a rookie Bourbon/ Rye drinker I give them Eagle Rare. They always love it! Here in NYC it's anywhere between 80 to 60 fazuls$$ I get it at a local liquor store in Staten Island for 58$ plus tax... You guys are great keep it it up💯
Retail only for Eagle Rare (about $40 in my area), but I'm luckily in a place where I can find it pretty readily, though I have seen it marked up to almost $100, which is just nuts. I have paid $50, but that was for store picks, and it was totally worth it--I may only buy store picks of ER from now on!
I live in Tasmania, Australia and it is always on the shelf, not cheap but not over priced either. Personally, it is probably my favourite bourbon. Always good, especially when I get it on a discount. Thanks guys, merry Christmas to you both
Definitely recommend Eagle Rare at or as close to retail if you can find it. I always pick it up it’s around that and I see it at a store. Btw, it’s always entertaining to hear Erin’s tasting or nosing notes. Sweet stinky feet popsicle sticks had me chuckling. Cheers guys
I've never considered Eagle Rare because it's only 90 proof.... Had my first pour of it on Thanksgiving and was not impressed.... Not bad, but I like a more flavorful higher proof pour myself.... I do like the higher aged pours as well, so Eagle Rare was OK.
MSRP in BC, Canada for ER is ~$75 after tax, ~US$55, and i was fortunate enough to snag a store pick, which are basically non-existent here, for that price. The barrel was 11.5 years old when they dumped it. So stoked haha!
Love ER , I keep two bottles on my shelf at all times 🥃🥃🥃. I paid $89.99 for my very first bottle when I didn't know any better lol. Now I get it for about $35-$40
The BT and ER are huge letdowns. I had them in a flight and the bookers which I only thought was good blew them away and they basically brought nothing to the party. I would buy Russel's 10 over this every time even at MSRP. I'd consider an ER if it was on sale for $30 or less.
I’m in the camp of Buffalo Trace being overrated. In blinds, it comes across watered down compared to Boweman Brothers, Evan Williams black label and WT101. I’ve not seen it below $70 but if it pops up in the ~$45 range I’d like to give it a try for science.
Yeah I just bought a bottle, 80 bucks, just tried it for the first time. I like it, dont know if I would spend 80 dollars again but yeah its real good.
I think the "Ambassador Bourbon" take is spot on. I was not a liquor drinker. I typically drank (and still do) stout beers. I started my bourbon adventure with a bottle of Old Forester 1872. That didn't do it for me. I then tried a bottle of Dickel 8 year. Nope. Then someone brought a bottle of Eagle Rare to our monthly Texas Hold'em league game and I was like, ok, now this is different, and in a very good way. Since then, I've tried a few other bourbons, but keep coming back to the Eagle Rare. Perhaps it's a first love sort of thing. Anyhow, I've now stocked up 10 bottles of the ER (at $42/bottle), as I fear it suddenly becoming unavailable, or the price going above my $50/bottle price limit. If I had to pay over $50 per bottle, then I'd just stick with the stouts! The other bourbon that I've grown fond of is Cooper's Craft. At $32/bottle, it seems like a great value.
I currently have 7 bottles of Eagle Rare on hand that i have paid about 29 per bottle. It’s probably one of my favorite bourbons. I would spend probably about up to $50 bucks for it. Good review, great video Josh and Erin.
I am new to the channel and thoroughly enjoying it. Please, keep up the good work! I am a fan of Eagle Rare up to about $75/bottle. I love the 10-year age statement but would happily pay more for it if it was bottled at 100+ proof to extend its finish a bit. I was fortunate to find a lone bottle at retail of $32 (Indianapolis suburb) this morning and walked out of the store with a big smile. Happy New Year!!
Eagle Rare was always on my shelf from 2013 - 2018 also...and then it disappeared from the stores. In fact I generally lived on BT products during that period so I was pretty angry when they all disappeared but ultimately it was a blessing. It forced me to try other brands and I have to say that I'm not near the fan of BT products that I once was. I still have a pretty full BT shelf but I seldom touch it and it's really just for guests because it's what they want to try.
I remember when I first got my hands on ER. I was a little let down, however as I’ve grown in my bourbon journey it has grown in me as a solid low proof bourbon if you get it a retail.
So I’m new to bourbon. I hunted this bottle down it cost me 55 sadly but everyone loves this stuff & idk if I just got a funky bottle but it smells significantly better than it taste. It’s surprisingly really bland to me. I strongly prefer weller special reserve. Even adding some water to the ER didn’t seem to enhance the flavor profile for me
It could be the bottle but 90 proof is pretty watered down. Do a blind with Special Reserve and Eagle Rare. We find Special Reserve soft and less flavorful in comparison.
Couldn’t agree more about it being an ambassador to bourbon. Eagle Rare is the bottle that brought me in. It will always hold a special place in my heart!
Josh nailed it, that cumin, coriander, chili spice smells AMAZING coming off a fajita pan, and a lot less nice coming off a human body. As for Eagle Rare, at 40-45$ it would be a solid rotation whiskey, at 80-100$ it is a no-go. I hope Buffalo Trace gets it distribution issues sorted. It is ridiculous that the same whiskey is twice as much depending on region. It is easier to find in JAPAN than TN.
Here it's a little more than WSR which is my favorite 90 proof. I keep one around but do let it sit after opening for a few months minimum. It does seem to get much better.
Love Eagle Rare, and it seems to always wins in our blind tastes when we put it against other 90 proof bourbons. We are fortunate in that we can usually get it locally for $40 in the Chicago area due to monthly drops. If Costco gets it, its $30, and we grab it of course. I won't pay more than retail, but I would love to get a BTAC ER 17 one of these days to see how good it is.
Eagle Rare started my love for Buffalo Trace and now I’m onto Weller, but both are pretty hard here. The last time I bought it was 34.99 3 years ago but now I haven’t seen it under 89.99.
i live in California and I just got scammed 150$ for this sweet nectar from the local liquor store got it for around 80$ before but my god its too much out here
Absolutely love ER, but I’ve bought too many at $39-$40 for me to feel like anything higher than that is a good buy. Going on 12 months sine I’ve seen one in the wild for MSRP. I’ll always have one on hand if I can. Cheers!
I’m paying 38 now up from 34 last year saw it on sale at save mart for 33 not always around but every couple of weeks in will be in stock in central ca
Had some Eagle Rare next to Wild Turkey 101 last weekend and I prefer Wild Turkey. It's a good alternative to that but I wouldn't drop more than $45 on it ever.
Such a polarizing bottle. Yes BT is good but not something that that will blow your socks off. And it certainly isn’t worth over MSRP. It is my favorite of the lower tier BT bottles but I don’t hunt for it if I see it and it’s not overpriced I’d get one. I’m more interested in getting a Stagg which is even harder to find in my area but just a better option in my opinion.
I like Eagle Rare a lot, but when tasted blind it tends to come across as “simple”. Sweet caramelly goodness, but not complex. We don’t get a lot of stuff in Seattle you can easily find in Kentucky or Tennessee, but I can often get this at my local Kroger for $32.
I have a bottle from late 2019 when I was just starting my Bourbon journey. At the time it was, more often than not, on the shelves here in PA. I have tried hard over the years to like it. I pull it out every couple of months and taste it either by it self or in a single blind with other bourbons. I just can't like it. I guess I'm glad as now it is impossible to get, but I always kind of wished I liked it. I'll keep trying until the bottle is empty- probably a few more years...
I've never seen this on a shelf near me in Florida, but I did get to try it at a bar. I was extremely underwhelmed, but it's a good 40$ bottle. Maybe someday I can buy one, because they sure are purdy.
Pretty easy to get in Nor Cal. Store picks too. It is really good but I struggle with the low proof. I pretty much go 100 and above. For example love Stagg.
I just got my first 2 bottles this month. One store pick 375ml for 22 and a standard 750ml for 40. Can’t wait to crack em and blind against others. I’m lucky to live in Texas and 5 mins from a store that only marks stuff up a few bucks from MSRP
I like eagle rare and usually have at least one and a backup. I don't go through it super fast though and can usually find one for $35-40 when I need a new one. I will pay $50-60 for a pick. I like it better than RR10, Bulleit 10, and Four Roses small batch. It's also the same price or cheaper than those. I like the profile more than knob Creek 9, though I can get that for $24. I slightly prefer McKenna 10 and Rebel 10, but they are significantly more expensive. I haven't tried Calumet 10 yet, but it's about 2x the price. I do really like 1792 BiB and Single Barrel, and they're a similar price, but I usually find them harder to find.
Hard to find in my market. Having said that, there are retailers who haven't marked it up. I see it between $32 and $36. Then I see it marked up into the mid $40s to $50. When in the low $30s, it's in my top 5 at that price point.
Tried Eagle Rare recently and it was kind of a let down. It’s good but not spectacular, definitely not worth standing in line for either. Why would I pay $65 minimum when I can get Old Forester 1920 which is a much more interesting and flavorful bottle (and a higher proof) for the same amount? Early Times bottled in bond is more complex than Eagle Rare and it’s $25.
Eagle Rare is like a watered down whisky to me. I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t pay a penny for it, rather, I’d say I wouldn’t buy it. I have two bottles that I’ve got at MSRP and have been disappointed once I opened and tried one. It’s sitting on the shelf waiting for friends to finish it. And I’ll gift the other bottles to a friend. Maybe it’s not my type. I really like more deep and complex whisky. Buffalo Trace is a cheaper bottle and more available, yet it offers better experience.
I recently had Eagle Rare and it went down fairly smoothly but when I got to about the third sip it was hot, very hot. To me it was just all ethanol and not much composition in taste.
Eagle Rare is under appriciated and seems to be left over after the crowds hit the bourbon drops. I never mind scooping up a 10 year for retail of 40 bucks, or 85 for the half gallon.
About $40 is my max for Eagle Rare. Luckily when I do get it, I pay retail in my area, which is around $38. Not easy to find, but my local grocery store gets it from time to time at retail. I personally think Heaven Hill BIB offers more bang for the buck if it goes above retail.
There is Eagle Rare 10 and without the 10... same price. Not sure there is any difference. It is Allocated in the VA ABC stores and sells for 40$ when they have a monthly drop anounced randomly, does not seem to be hard to get if you can get to the ABC store within an hour of the drop. Kentucky is not that far from the VA border, so you may want to go there. it is as common as milk.
My opinion is that the standard non picks taste like buffalo trace almost exactly to me. Its way to simillar i think and honestly id rather have buffalo trace for 25$ instead of paying the broad range of eagle rares prices i think ive seen eagle rare as high as 100$ pre tax in wa here. But its def a must try buy for ppl getting into bourbon.
It’s super hard to find in Florida…I got a bottle but it was marked up to 85….and to me it was a cherry bomb….honestly for the price I was super disappointed….i am glad I got to enjoy a bottle..but I think it’s going to sit on the shelf for a bit
I get Eagle Rare for $29 so...I keep a few on hand. Limited to 1/day so take my wife and usually go to the store 2-3 days to stock up so I have a few on hand...
I love eagle rare and I'm for sure going to keep a bottle around. At the moment my top 3 are Tin Cup 10 Year for $50, then Michters American Whiskey for $49 and Russel's Reserve 10 Year for $45, but eagle rare for $39 and Bowman Brothers Small Batch at $35 are tied for #4. I feel like I go against the grain a bit in what I like. I really don't like the funk on Old Grand-dad 114 or Wild Turkey Rare Breed and haven't tried an Old Forester that I like yet.
Bought my first bottle of this for $50. I’d continue to pay $50 for future bottles but no more than that. Only exception I’d make is up to $55 for a store pick
I like eagle rare enough that my personal limit is $80. In Ohio when I can find it it’s retail, in dalton Georgia at a liquor store I like I can get it regularly for $60 for now. I think it’s a great pour but on January 10th I’m going to blind 10 10 year whiskeys and we’ll see!
I think its really good, at the right price. If you see it as MSRP I think its a buy all day long. Over MSRP it really depends on if you have never had it, how often you see it etc. Personally Bulliet or RR 10 aren't nearly as good. I know in my local area not only is this not on the shelves its also not available for a pour out some where either. Which makes paying more for it more appealing when you never have had it, and its just not available for a pour. Interestingly however recently there are 2 local places that don't have ER but do have Blantons. Granted one place its like 40 a pour, still better than paying secondary if you have never had it. Hopefully with this move we see some of the fruits of Buffalo Trace's expansion come to more bottles being on the shelf. I have also seen Buffalo Trace on the self more and more often here locally for me as well. Still hoping to get some Weller but being patient. :)
Great review. Great bourbon. My favorite daily sipper. Fortunately it is fairly available in the DMV area at retail. I would pay maximum $50 for a 750ml.
I can't agree with you more. My wife and I always have a I always have a bottle around. Very available in Southern California. Pricing is $30-$80, but easy to find at $50. I'm comfortable spending $50 for it.
I hear that it is readily available in many parts of California, but in my corner of southern California, it hasn't been around, except in museums. I wonder if this will eventually change with the change in distribution. One museum had it for $200, and I've seen it for $100 at others. Strangely, the best deal around here was a single barrel pick that a bar was selling bottles to go, and their price was better than the standard issue bottle at all the museums. I typically don't feel like Buffalo Trace products live up to the hype, but this version of Eagle Rare was very good. Currently, it is the only Buffalo Trace product in my collection.
@heatherharrison264 I've searched all the stores within about 20 mins of my place and there are a couple that almost always have it for $50. When I come across it for less, I grab it as a backup. I have noticed that I'm lucky to have it available. In my travels I almost never see it.
I love the ambassador bourbon thing, the shoe fits, for sure. I appreciate other 10 year old bourbons, but neither Russel's or Bulleit taste anything like ER10 to me. You said you don't care too much about mashbills, but that BT mashbill 1 is in it's own league, I think.